Interieur van de Sint-Jacobskerk in Luik 1866 - 1870

Curator: Jules Hippolyte Quéval created this photographic print titled, "Interieur van de Sint-Jacobskerk in Luik" between 1866 and 1870. Editor: The perspective really pulls me in. All those receding arches and pillars make me feel tiny but safe, like a child hiding in a giant's cloak. It’s…imposing, but comforting? Is that weird? Curator: Not at all. Gothic architecture often inspires that sense of awe and refuge simultaneously. Churches are often intentionally designed this way, connecting us to something both larger and more foundational. And this image does capture it well, as we are literally miniaturized as figures by the structure itself. Editor: Right. And the sepia tones soften what could be a very stark image. All of the hard, grey stone melts into this honeyed light. Makes you think about time, doesn't it? How these buildings last for centuries and yet a photograph is only one brief snapshot of all that history. Curator: Indeed. Quéval, working in the Realist tradition, isn't merely documenting space. He’s also showing the church as an idea, as cultural and spiritual monument. Note the detail in the organ and pulpit. There's an almost obsessive quality, reflecting the value placed on craftsmanship, especially ecclesiastical craft. Editor: You know, the longer I look at it, the more the perspective feels staged. The church feels deserted; it’s all for show. Like walking onto a movie set before the cameras start rolling, so perfect. What's it trying to show us without showing us any people? Curator: Perhaps the idea of communal reverence supersedes the need to portray specific individuals? It seems to highlight the shared cultural identity more so than any singular religious devotion, or specific moment within a mass. The emptiness emphasizes its role in history and society more broadly. Editor: Huh. You've given me a lot to think about. Curator: As for me, I will be reflecting more about this fascinating contrast between photography's claim to capture a moment and its failure to show anything more about it.